About Christmas TV History

Friday, June 15, 2018

Christmas in July 2018 ANNOUNCEMENT




It's that time again! The annual Christmas in July party I host each year on this blog is happening soon.  If you've been around awhile, you may remember that each year the summer time party is a little different.  I try to do something special in July each year because we all get very busy in December and it's fun to have a get-together when we aren't in the midst of the holiday season. This is the fifth year we've come together to do this--HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!




This year I'd like to repeat the mini-questionnaire as a way to spark a dialogue and to have everyone get to know each other  better. I was inspired to try this approach from what I saw (and participated in) five years ago on the website Kindertrauma.  With their blessing, I've adapted the questionnaire to fit our needs. We did this last year too--remember all the fun answers?  Click on the links to see the 2014 recap, the 2015 recap, the 2016 recap, and the 2017 recap.




This is how we do it: Answer the following five questions as completely or as briefly as you like.  Everyone is invited to take part--long-time readers, other bloggers, casual TV fans, or just the curious passer-by.  ****Everyone should feel free to join the Christmas in July party.******

Copy + Paste the questions below in an email, answer them, and email it back to me.  Send your responses in immediately and I'll email you back with a number. That number is your confirmation that I received your answers and it is your place in the queue. I will begin posting the responses starting on July 1st--and roll them out in the order received. (DON'T put your responses to the questions in the comments below--email them in). Email your responses to: [sorry--Christmas in July is now over].

Don't worry about photos either--I'll take care of that. And, duplicate answers are part of the party experience--don't exert too much effort trying to find rare examples for your answers. If you want to change your answers after you email them to me--please resist the urge. Instead, add comments to your own post when it goes up in July.


The Miser Brothers


The Christmas in July party is supposed to be fun and entertaining so don't sweat your responses.  Don't spend hours on it--just go with the responses that come easily. Get creative and have fun with it!

If you feel you need a little help, feel free to flip through your dog-eared copy of the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV--or put a copy on hold at your local library.  You can also use the search box on this website (not easily visible on a mobile device but it is top right of the screen for computers) or click through the archives on this website (along the sidebar on the right).  Christmas TV memories will come flooding back, I'm sure.


2018 badge--feel free to use on social media!
 
Whether you send in a response or not, please feel free to follow along throughout the month of July.  Reading other people's responses is half the fun. I want to encourage everyone to leave comments too--it makes people feel good to know their entry is being read by others. If you like, please feel free to use the Christmas in July 2018 badge on your website or social media posts to let others know what you are up to!




Let's get this party started:

Christmas in July 2018: (insert your name--your website/optional)

1) Name your favorite Henson's Muppet Christmas program and why. (For example: "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street," "Muppet Christmas Carol," "Muppet Family Christmas,"John Denver and the Muppets: Christmas Together," "Elmo Saves Christmas," "The Christmas Toy," etc.) If you have no Muppet preference, feel free to name another puppet Christmas favorite.

2) Which decade produced the bulk of your favorite Christmas entertainment?

3) Imagine the entertainment behind your ideal Christmas Eve dinner. Name the appetizer, entré, and dessert.

4) What Christmas episode, special or movie doesn't exist--that you wish did? Feel free to get creative.

5) If one Christmas movie, special or episode was to be selected for a time capsule to opened in 1,000 years, which title do you think should be included?




 
Since I'm hosting this party, I'll be glad to be the first one to jump in and lead by example.  Isn't this fun already?

Christmas in July 2018:  Joanna Wilson from ChristmasTVHistory.com

1) Name your favorite Henson's Muppet Christmas program and why.

As a kid, I looked forward to watching the John Denver and The Muppets: Christmas Together. The soundtrack still holds a powerful nostalgic trip for me each year when I hear it again. However, as an adult, I end up watching Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas more often. The attention to detail in the background shots, the music, and the heartwarming story are satisfying.

2) Which decade produced your favorite Christmas entertainment?

I'm going with the 1970s. The 1970s saw the development of the Christmas TV movie. Watching the made-for-TV movies The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) and The House Without a Christmas Tree (1972) each year in my house was must-see-TV. I still fondly remember many of the TV variety specials of the 1970s, from Bing Crosby to The Captain and Tennille, Donny & Marie Osmond, to Sonny & Cher, and Andy Williams. Re-watching those musical programs is still quite pleasurable.
 
3) Imagine the entertainment behind your ideal Christmas Eve dinner. Name the appetizer, entré, and dessert.

My ideal Christmas Eve viewing party: Appetizer--1996's "The Christmas Lunch Incident" episode of The Vicar of Dibley.  Entré--It's a Wonderful Life. Dessert: 1987's A Garfield Christmas.

4) What Christmas episode, special or movie doesn't exist--that you wish did? Describe it.

I still can't believe there isn't a Christmas episode of I Dream of Jeannie! But I wish there was a classic Star Trek Christmas episode. Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy referring back to the ancient Earth custom of the yuletide has so much potential. I can hear Spock saying "That's illogical!" and watching Kirk roll his eyes. Uhuru would insist upon a gift exchange. What a missed opportunity.

5) If one Christmas movie, special or episode was to be selected for a time capsule to opened in 1,000 years, which title do you think should be included?

I would pick one of those mid-1960s Andy Williams Christmas specials. The color was so vibrant and the music was swingin'. Williams features his brothers on the show singing with him, and the Osmonds are there in five-part harmony too. I like the idea that Christmas is a time of music and a time for family which clearly comes across in these TV specials. If I can be so bold as to suggest a second title, I might include Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol in the time capsule. It incorporates Christmas animation, a musical, and the classic Dickens tale. Can I include both? LOL





Do you have any questions about Christmas in July 2018?  Ask below in the comments.

Send in your responses today!  Thanks for playing along and Merry Christmas in July.



Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her most recent book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com

6 comments:

  1. Yay, always look forward to this every year. Always find new gems to add to my holiday viewing list.

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  2. Replies
    1. Yes! I can't wait for July to begin :) Thanks.

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  3. "But I wish there was a classic Star Trek Christmas episode."

    Check out "Dagger of the Mind" in the first season of "Star Trek". It was broadcast November 3, 1966, features the first Vulcan mind meld, and introduces a character named Dr. Helen Noel (say whaaaa?).

    Seems Noel and the Captain got frisky at a Christmas party and there are several references to it in the episode.

    Happy viewing!

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    1. I'm familiar with the episode. I stand by my claim--that is no Christmas episode ;)

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